Running Bear's May 2024 Coffee Shop

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bnsf971 said:
As for tinnitus, in my case it's a phantom sound like an old CRT monitor or television screen, only louder. I spent way too much time around too loud machinery before hearing protection was a thing.
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I spent 3 years as the "trim crew" in Minot AFB, North Dakota. We would taxi a F106 down to the end of the runway and adjust the fuel control after an engine rebuild (every 200 hours). We did at around 01:00am and my job was to adjust the fuel control settings while the F106 was at idle and full power. I did not wear ear protection, instead;; I wore headphones to listen to the pilot. I would adjust the engine during all power settings...and then afterburner. My hearing was shot in 1962. Hasn't got better since then. I'm 80 now and I have hearrd all I need to hear....I had a mishap at the firing range last week that has only made it worse. I can't hear anything out of my left ear...Joan sits to the left of me when we watch TV and every now and then I just say "yes" to answer anything she could have said. I would rather hear her (sometimes)...
 
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Well, howdy there internet peeps...

A fun day of dealing with Mom issues while she's still in Hospital.

We are having the discussion between my sisters and I about how to get Mom to agree to nursing home... AND then the hospital calls with she'll be released soon, what do you want her to go to?

She's slow, but still herself with a decent mind, so she gets to make those choices. We don't have power of attorney to do anything without her consent.....

Then the facility where she normally lives calls. they have a nursing home/healthcare place that also has rehab. The hospital social worker is working with them to get Mom a place... do we want long term care to replace her apartment on the same campus, or just rehab?

Again, mom has to be a part of that discussion...

And she's not answering the phone whenever I call...

Turns out she had another AFIB issue today, chest pain and short of breath. they got her turned around and beating the right direction. But moved her up a notch in observation (not ICU, but a step before that)...

So, who knows if she's going to be released on time?

Waiting on sis #1 to call. She works factory and is out of touch for all but the emergency issues.

Oh, and our dinner tonight is a chuck steak (and the last sirloin that was getting freezer-burn) along with Taters, Carots, and green beans in the slowcooker.

Screenshot 2024-05-15 at 4.53.39 PM.png
 
That's tough, getting an older adult to take your suggestions.
When my mother turned 82, she was living 500 miles from me or my other sibs. Only relying on some church members to help her with stuff.
My clever sister who lives in Verde Valley, AZ made the travel plans for her to come out there to visit for about a month. She took my mom to one of the local limited assisted living centers to participate in some of the daily activities they had there. This was without the intention of tryin to talk her into moving there. My mom began to enjoy the activities and made some good friends. It wasn't long before she was inquiring if she could move there. My clever sister told her she would have to check with me because I was managing her monies. I was already qued up on the plan and while my sister and I had my mom on a conference call, I had a calculator handy and piles of paper to rustle while "Calculating" the possibility. With some calculator clacking, a few ummm hmmmms, some paper rustling and finally the answer was, absolutely YES. Mom was really happy that she could move there and more that she made the decision on her own as far as she knew.
She lived out her next few years there, close to my sister and her husband and his family. She died after lung cancer surgery, and I took her back to Tennessee to be buried with my dad in the Chattanooga National Cemetery.
I have a friend who lives in Athens, TN and he participates in the Wreathes Across America. He makes it his mission to ensure my dad gets a wreath at his headstone each year.
 


Good evening all. I've been on vacation this week and instead of resting, i was mixing and pouring concrete sidewalk in front of the house. That was monday and tuesday. Today all sore jumped in the car and eventually wound up at the "Horseshoe Curve" area in Altoona.
IMG_20240515_125814250_HDR.jpg

First pick is near Tyrone and it shows a westbound, but the really interesting stuff is that standard Pennsy railing with a fence, all specifically designed by Pennsy men and used throughout the system.
Next the Curve:
IMG_20240515_165126627.jpg

It was not raining, as the weather is moving east.
IMG_20240515_165552674_HDR.jpg

This stone cabin is right in the middle of the Curve, and long time ago there used to be a station built with the same styling at the east end of the curve.
Next an eastbound:
IMG_20240515_170858201.jpg

Westbound double stack:
IMG_20240515_171012954.jpg

Amtrak to Pittsburgh which i was waiting for:
IMG_20240515_175142189_HDR.jpg

This thing was trailing 8 cars including baggage. Amfleet II:
IMG_20240515_175208340.jpg

The immense scenery is making the trains look like little toys;
IMG_20240515_175216176_HDR.jpg

"Garden railroad";)
IMG_20240515_182503533_HDR.jpg
 
Well, howdy there internet peeps and those with mothers here or passed...

I got a call that she'd had an AFIB episode, and they got her stabilized with meds. She's got ongoing AFIB and there's not much they can do unless she's in hospital and being monitored. Heart doc has said she's too weak to try to do an "inversion" surgery.

She's now in a "progressive care" room, which is below ICU.

I think we can talk her into the "Healthcare" facility based on what is happening. Unfortunately, she's no longer active like KEN's mom. She uses a walker and oxygen, and doesn't have the energy for even WII bowling that she was doing a year or so ago with the people in her independent Sr. Living building.

We'll wait to to see what the docs say tomorrow.

And I have an appointment at 11:30 to get the new hearing aids (postponed from Tues when I had unexpected Mom in Hospital trips to make). Fortunately, I know where Mom is, and they can just keep her for a few hours longer if they insist I have to pick her up tomorrow.

I've confirmed my tinnitus is stress related. Today, dealing with the "will she agree" angst, it shot up to an 8 volume. Took me a while to get it down to a 6. It's still there. But I'm slowly getting it to back off.

I did paint some orcs on manticores for my Swifty Orcs... They have sparkleling personalities.
Screenshot 2024-05-15 at 7.50.37 PM.png
It's tough to photograph, but the wings and armor have glitter paint.
 
Good evening. Today's temperature range 57° to 65°. Currently 59°. Rainfall 0.29". Currently a light drizzle. Tomorrow, cloudy with 30% chance of rain. Same for the balance of the week. This is more or less typical for May in Jersey.

After yesterday's activity, I did very little today. Did some work on the layout, ran a few switching moves, and sat on the computer most of the day.
 
troyphoto said:
Well, howdy there internet peeps and those with mothers here or passed...

I got a call that she'd had an AFIB episode, and they got her stabilized with meds. She's got ongoing AFIB and there's not much they can do unless she's in hospital and being monitored. Heart doc has said she's too weak to try to do an "inversion" surgery.

She's now in a "progressive care" room, which is below ICU.

I think we can talk her into the "Healthcare" facility based on what is happening. Unfortunately, she's no longer active like KEN's mom. She uses a walker and oxygen, and doesn't have the energy for even WII bowling that she was doing a year or so ago with the people in her independent Sr. Living building.

We'll wait to to see what the docs say tomorrow.

And I have an appointment at 11:30 to get the new hearing aids (postponed from Tues when I had unexpected Mom in Hospital trips to make). Fortunately, I know where Mom is, and they can just keep her for a few hours longer if they insist I have to pick her up tomorrow.

I've confirmed my tinnitus is stress related. Today, dealing with the "will she agree" angst, it shot up to an 8 volume. Took me a while to get it down to a 6. It's still there. But I'm slowly getting it to back off.

I did paint some orcs on manticores for my Swifty Orcs... They have sparkleling personalities.View attachment 187611It's tough to photograph, but the wings and armor have glitter paint.
Click to expand...
Troy, tough to read about your mom. I hope things improve for her.

Those Orcs look great. Do you mostly air brush them or hand paint? Or is a combo…

I know I’ve mentioned it before, I think I’d enjoy painting them as something so different from scale model train weathering. But I’m not sure I’d enjoy the gaming aspect of them, but painting, absolutely…
 
John from Indiana said:
I spent 3 years as the "trim crew" in Minot AFB, North Dakota. We would taxi a F106 down to the end of the runway and adjust the fuel control after an engine rebuild (every 200 hours). We did at around 01:00am and my job was to adjust the fuel control settings while the F106 was at idle and full power. I did not wear ear protection, instead;; I wore headphones to listen to the pilot. I would adjust the engine during all power settings...and then afterburner. My hearing was shot in 1962. Hasn't got better since then. I'm 80 now and I have hearrd all I need to hear....I had a mishap at the firing range last week that has only made it worse. I can't hear anything out of my left ear...Joan sits to the left of me when we watch TV and every now and then I just say "yes" to answer anything she could have said. I would rather hear her (sometimes)...
Click to expand...
John, I have a similar problem due to rifle shooting (right hand/left ear) with those #@%^&! Lee Sonic Ear Valves that were supposed to close when the muzzle blast hit it...only they didn't work. By the time I was going to sue them they had gone bankrupt and out of business. Those NOT service related, the VA has me fixed up with the left hearing aid that broadcasts to the right one, which doesn't have quite the loss.

"Why not Minoit?
Freezin's the reason!"
Malmstrom was better...if you didn't mind -52F New Years Day 1969!
 
TLOC said:
I know I’ve mentioned it before, I think I’d enjoy painting them as something so different from scale model train weathering. But I’m not sure I’d enjoy the gaming aspect of them, but painting, absolutely…
Click to expand...

Back in HS I used to paint the 25mm lead figures for DnD and stuff. Ral Partha et al. It was great fun. I was playing DnD but I enjoyed painting them just for the sake of painting. A friend of mine would buy me all the paints and supplies and then he would buy the figures and I painted them. I then had the supplies and paints to also paint my own. He eventually tired of them and I ended up with his collection anyway. I still have them in a box somewhere.
 


Good morning, Flo! It has been awhile since I strayed into the cafe at this time of day.
May I have some warm milk to tide me over while I clean up metal flash from the pieces in my 1925 water truck Jordan kit.
The warm milk should kick in the drowsy eyes about the time I lose patience filing the kit pieces. Then I can look forward to gluing my fingers together with super glue as I assemble the kit parts.
What a wonderful way to start the day. I'll be back for fresh coffee later.
 
What up folks!

- Airport ZRH still running and many planes are leaving or coming
- some clouds but also sunlight
- little hangover because we had a team meetup yesterday
- around 15 celcius

question of the day: Will i be happy with my decision to totally go the other way on my N Scale Layout?

cheers
jay
 
Good EARLY Morning all!

56F @ 59% with stars

Welp, everything came to a screeching halt Monday night/early Tuesday morning. Maria went to the ER as she could not breath proper. She got the crud ( Bacterial Pneumonia ) after re-visiting Jordan in Missoula. I took a hit from that visit, but seem to have weathered it. Hospital gave her Steroids and an antibiotic along with O2. Tuesday she was really wheezing, but she did sleep Tuesday night pretty good. Yesterday, the wheezing went away for the most part. She finally got fed up with the hospital procedure and released herself. They would not tell her anything - good, bad or ugly and just kept stringing her along for another night stay. No treatment plan going forward and can not find out anything about the actual current treatment plan. They have based all the decisions on her COPD. COPD? She has never been diagnosed with that and it is not on/in her record. Come to find out because she is a smoker, COPD is always the culprit. Has nothing to do with the black mold she has been in contact with - what black mold? We do not see any black mold. What?

The ER doc on duty was just as bad as those 3rd world phone operators that help you with your broken widget. As long as the conversation is in the realm of what is on the tablet's flow chart of questions/answers, questions get answered abet in general terms and somewhat broken English with nothing specific to her. Ask something that is out of the loop and the doc would go silent without even a guess answer. So the idea is to have ONE doc managing her treatment; and is her/our personal one. Get to chat with her probably later this morning. Gonna be more of the same - Steroids, Antibiotic and probably O2 for a bit with rest and plenty of fluids of course.

I am amazed of how tied to her I am. Can't seem to get anything done and the ADD is going nuts. We will settle down sooner or later, time will tell. I have lost another 5Lbs; now under 200 and don't want to be there. At least Testosterone for me is in the works and once that starts I will also do HGH with workouts using the weight bench. I want at least some of my mass back and to be able to have some actual drive to go and do stuff.

Sorry, rambled.

Later
 
TLOC said:
Troy, tough to read about your mom. I hope things improve for her.

Those Orcs look great. Do you mostly air brush them or hand paint? Or is a combo…

I know I’ve mentioned it before, I think I’d enjoy painting them as something so different from scale model train weathering. But I’m not sure I’d enjoy the gaming aspect of them, but painting, absolutely…
Click to expand...
Hand paint with mostly Speed Paints from Army painter.

Priming is a "Xenithal" technique from the Warhammer 40K crowd, using the airbrush

  1. prime black
  2. From the top with at most a 45° angle add a layer of grey to highlight the midtone areas
  3. From the top with at most a 15° angle add a layer of white (I use white ink in the airbrush) to demark the highlights
Then, when using the speed paints, the priming job accents the shadows and highlights even more.

Then I drybrush on hightlight colors, like the mane and fur.
Most of the metalics are the Speed Paint 2.0 metalic range.

When knocking out an army of figures, its about speed. So the speed paints and Xenithal highlighting help.
 


Well, howdy there internet peeps,

It's Troy again.

Doc uploaded a new report, nothing new in it. He mentions that she is being discharged (time unknown due to the AFIB episode) to a nursing care facility. I'll try to call later and make sure she's up to speed on that idea.

Went to bed with the tinnitus at a 7. Woke up at 2:30 for the pee run, with it at a 7. Gave up on bed and came down to the recliner. Put the headphones on with the babbling brook on the computer. Got another 2+ hours of sleep. Tinnitus still at a 7. Hearing aids in with white noise, and the babbling brook still on the computer speakers.

New hearing aids today with the tinnitus tech. Guess I get to see how well they work.

Todd: Best wishes to Maria. Not breathing is a bad thing. Hopes for a speedy recovery

Jay asked an interesting question: Will I be happy with my N-scale. I've been looking at the cool HO Pics, and keep thinking that I like to model scenes. And with N-scale that's pretty much track, buildings and scenery.

I do NOT want to rebuild my benchwork. I've had enough of that. But the curve radius is maxed at 17" at the shallowest portions.

Pros for HO: Better scenes with people. I have 3D printers and can make all the people and critters I want.
Cons: Need to sell a small number of Locos, and rolling stock, and some building kits
- Need to sell off the box of Pico Track, and turnouts I've accumulated.
-Need to sell of the structures I've purchased but not built.
-Then I have to purchase new stuff in HO.

I don't mind trading the dollars, but I'm not sure if I want more railroad, or more "realism" in the scenery. Any insights to those who have done both scales? Here's a shot of the benchwork I'm working with:

Screenshot 2024-05-16 at 7.22.32 AM.png

On the lower level, the rightmost depth is 42". Across from it is 28" from backdrop to edge. The full peninsula (both sides) total 60"

Thoughts? It'll be a week or two before I get back to the layout. I have to get the back healed up enough to do the bending and twisting
 
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